Corn roaster



C. J. PAUL CORN ROASTER March 18, 1952 2 SHEETS-SHEET l Filed Sept. 24, 1948 INVENTOR. C'Zzfton J Paul HTTYS C. J. PAUL CORN ROASTER March 18, 1952 2 sz-EETs-sm'r 2 filed sept. 24, 1948 7 I JAWENTORLA C'ZifZ-on J Paul Patented Mar. 18, 1952 UNITED STATES PATENT GFFICE CORN ROASTER Clifton J. Paul, Del Paso Heights, Calif.

Application September 24, 1948, Serial No. 50,938

4 Claims.

This invention is directed to, and it is an object to provide, a novel food roaster of exposed or barbecue type, the roaster being especially designed for roasting ears of corn.

Another object of the invention is to provide a food roaster, as above, wherein individual pieces of food, such as corn, are supported by power driven spits or prongs above a cooking unit, here an electric grid.

A further'object of the invention is to provide a novel drive mechanism for the food supporting prongs.

'An additional object of the invention is to provide a food roaster, f the type described, wherein the food supporting prongs are mounted in novel manner-for swinging motion between a lowered cooking position and a raised position for placement or removal of food thereon.

It isalso an object of the invention to provide a. foodV roaster which is designed for ease and economy of manufacture; the structure being simple, and requiring a minimum .of maintenance or repair.v

A further object of the invention is to provide a practical, reliable, and convenient food roaster.

These objects areaccomplished by means of such structure'and relative arrangement of parts as will fully appear by a perusal of the following specification and claims.

In the drawings:

Fig. 1 is a fragmentary plan View of the device.

Fig. 2' is a cross section of the device showing one food supporting prong unit in lowered Working position, and another in raised position for placement or removal of food.

Referring now more particularly to the characters of reference onY the drawings, the food roaster comprises a horizontal base plate I which is rectangular but elongated in plan; such base plate I being supported from lbelow and about the edges 'by a rectangular base 2.

Along each longitudinal edge thereof the base plate I is fitted with a pair of upstanding, 1ongitudinal flanges, indicated at 3' and 4; the outer anges 4 being of greater height than the 'inner flanges 3.

At spaced points in the length thereof each pair of flanges 3 and 4 is fitted with stub shafts 5 journaled with, and extending between, said flanges; each such stub shaft 5 carrying a pinion 6 thereon lbetween the flanges. The stub shafts 5 project outwardly of the corresponding flange 4, and carry sprockets 'I driven by an endless chain 8 which extends lengthwise of the device in a -generally horizontal plane.

At one end of the base plate I the flanges 3 and 4 support a cross shaft 9 in journaled relation, and such cross shaft carries sprockets II] which drive the endless chains 8. The cross shaft 9 is driven at reduced speed from an electric motor II by means 0f a reduction gear train I2. The motor II is adapted to be controlled through the medium'of an electric circuit (not shown).

Above each stub shaft there is a food supporting prong unit, indicated generally at I3, mountedV in connection with the corresponding outer flange 4, and comprising the following structural arrangement:

Each food supporting prong unit I3 comprises a bearing lblock I4 hinged, as at I5, to the outside of the corresponding flange 4 for swinging motion between one position resting on the upper edge of said flange as a stop, and another position rocked outwardly and downwardly therefrom.

The 'bearing Iblock I4 includes an upstanding handle I6 fitted, at its upper end, with a hand knob Il, for ease of manipulation of the bearing block I4.

A rotary prong, indicated at I8, is journaled in connection with the bearing block I4 and projects inwardly therefrom; such prong being horizontal and overhanging the base plate I inwardly of the adjacent flange 3, when the bearing block I4 is in its stop position in abutment with the upper edge of the flange 4.

Each rotary prong I8 is fitted with a gear I9 which meshes with the corresponding pinion 5 when the prong I8 is in its lowered horizontal or cooking position, but is fre-e of said pinion when the block I4 is rocked outwardly and downwardly to incline the prong for the placement or removal of food. This is an important feature because it stops the rotation of the prong I8 for said placement or removal of the food.

The food supporting prong units I3 on the opposite sides of the -device are in staggered relation so as to assure against the food on one prong from interfering with the food on the opposed corresponding prong.

The base plate I is fitted, between the flanges 3, with a zig-zag electric cooking unit, indicated generally at 20, which includes a plurality of transverse legs 2| in spaced apart relation lengthwise of the device. The cooking unit 20 is of the tubular, enclosed resistance type, such as a Calrod unit. The' electric circuit for the cooking unit 20 is omitted for the purpose of clarity, but may be of any suitable type, including switching means for high, medium, or low heat. Y

When the above described food roaster is in use, pieces of food, such as ears of corn, are impaled on the rotary prongs I8, with the latter in their upwardly inclined non-rotary position. After the food is in place, the knobs II on the handle I6 are manipulated to swing the prong units I3 downwardly to their cooking position, at whichwtime the gears I9 fall in mesh with the pinionsl," resulting in continuous turning of the food above the electric cooking unit 20, as is desirable.

The described food roaster provides a veryY handy and practical device for the effective and tasty cooking of foods; the structure being relatively light-weight so thatft is capable ofbeing moved from place to place as desired. Also,

the device is neat in appearance and can thus bel used as an exposed or barbecue type of cooker.

From the foregoing description it will be readily seen that there has been produced such a de'- vice as substantially fulfills the objects of the invention, asset forth herein.

While this speciiication sets forth in detail the present and preferred construction of the device, stillv in practice' such'deviations from such detail 4may be resorted to as do not form a de# parture from the spirit of the invention, as dened by the appendedV claims.

Having thusV described the invention, thel following-is' claimed asnew and useful, andv upon which Letters Patent Vare desired:

, l. A food roaster comprising a base, a'cooking unit on' the base, arotar37 prong normally overhangingl the cooking unit from one side, a journal in which they prong is supported, means mounting the journal for motion to tilt the prong to an upwardly inclined position, a gear on the'prong, and av drivenr pinion mounted to mesh with the gear only when the prong is in normal position'.

2. Afood roaster'comprising a' base, a cook# inguniton the base, a rotary prong normally overhanging the cooking unit from oneside, a journal `Yin `which' the prong is supported, means mounting the journal for motion to tilt the prong toan upwardly-inclined) position, a gear on the prong, and a driven pinion mounted to mesh with the'V gear only when' the prong is in normal position; there beingahandle upstanding from the journal.

3;-Afood roaster'comprising a base, a cooking=unit on thebase, a rotary prong-normally overhangingthe cooking unit from one side, a bearing-blockin which the outer end portion of the prong'is journaled, a flange' upstanding from the base, a'hinge securing the block to the flange for outward and downward rocking motion from a normal position resting in stop relation against the upper edge of the flange, a handle upstanding from the block, and means to drive the prong; said last named means comprising a driven shaft below the prong, a gear on the prong, and a pinion on the shaft, the gear and pinion meshing only when the prong is in normal position.

4. A food roaster comprising abase, a cooking unit on the base, said cooking unit being relatively flat and horizontally disposed, a longitudinal row of spaced, food supporting prong units on each side of the `cooking unit, each unit including -a rotary' prong normally projecting inwardly generallyv horizontally to support food over said unit, the cooking unit comprising a continuous electric resistance element lying in a horizontal plane of generally zig-zag form and including spaced transverse legs adjacent-,pairs of which are connected to each other at one end only while the adjacent legs of such pairs are connected at the other end only; the prongs of one row being disposed'A between the vertical planes of the pairs of llegs and' projecting laterally toward the connected end thereof and the prongs of the other row being similarly disposed relative to said adjacent legs.

CLIFTON J. PAUL.

REFERENCES CITED The following references are of record in the fileV of this patent:

UNITEDfsTATEs'PATENT" 's Number Name Date 1,520,498 Jenks et al Dec. 23, 1924 1,588,530 Currier et al June 15, 1926 1,723,145 Fernald Aug. 6, 1929 1,782,639 Van Allen Nov. 25, 1930 1,809,172 Le Sauvage June 9, 1931 2,012,811 Duffy Aug. 27, '1935 2,130,259 Bonaguidi Sept.- 13, 1938 2,245,220 Nelson -June 10, 1941 2,306,519 Bobo Dec. 29, 1942 2,388,831 Cramer Nov. 13, 1945 2,470,645 Reichart May 17, 1949 2,485,890 Keljik Oct. 25, 1949 2,486,345 Triulzi Oct. 25, 1949 2,494,448 Nassif Jan. '10, 1950 2,536,630` Elmerv Jan. 2, 1951 2,556,740 Polsen et al June 12, 1951 FOREIGN i PATENTS Number Y I Country Datel `276,053 Great Britain" Aug." 15,`V 1927 

